Feature

The Many Ways to Tap the Water Boom

Scarcity means opportunities in everything from pumps and plumbing to sewage treatment.

"A perfect storm is brewing, water is the 21st-century oil," wrote Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a 133-page report last month. BofA calls water scarcity a "global megatrend" and says "investors need to go blue." Credit the bank's conservation efforts; it has been recycling that report for a few years now. Returns for the theme have been just OK. The S&P Global Water index has returned 12.1% on average over the past three years, beating the 9.5% return for the broad S&P Global 1200, but falling short of the 13.9% return for the U.S.-focused Standard & Poor's 500 index.